Changes and Challenges in Heritage and Open Knowledge

Please note there are two parts to the registration form - please ensure you complete both parts when signing up so we have all the information we require.

For the last 16 years, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has joined other funders worldwide in requiring digital materials created with grant funding shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0), or shared in the public domain, or under an appropriate open software licence.

Working with open licenses and understanding copyright can be challenging for many organisations. The Heritage Fund’s projects and commissions have produced a wide range of guidance, available on or via the Digital Heritage Hub a resource hub managed by the Arts Marketing Association. These range from introductory to expert level and are designed to support heritage organisation's understanding of the complexities of copyright law and the benefits of open licensing. In addition, all of the resources on the platform are shared under an open license, enabling public use, reuse and remixing.

This roundtable event at the Bishopsgate Institute in London on Thursday 12 September builds on the creation of this important body of knowledge, by bringing together people and organisations from across the heritage sector to discuss the limitations highlighted by recent developments in technology and politics, and begin to identify new collective ways forward.

The event will result in a reflection paper, capturing contemporary issues, questions and concerns in relation to the production of open knowledge.

Who is this event for?

This event is aimed at open knowledge experts, leaders and activists working in the heritage sector and related fields including GLAM, education, data and science.

It will be divided into two sessions ― each session will include a keynote talk followed by a panel session and then roundtable discussions. The two sessions will be:

Session 1: Open licensing and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The rapid growth of generative AI tools within content creation is creating both new opportunities for using works that are openly shared or in the public domain, and new risks, including the possibility of infringement and exploitation of openly licensed works. The use of works for AI training and the creation of new works using AI blurs the rules of open licensing and requires a re-examination of some of the exceptions and limitations to copyright.

Freely available open licensed digital content is feeding into large language models supporting AI tools such as ChatGPT but not all of these tools incorporate correct credits or original citations in the content it generates. There is currently a lot of uncertainty regarding rules for both using other people’s artistic works for AI training, and for properly licensing and sharing works generated with AI creative tools.

Clarity is needed in the use of AI, both for people and organisations whose work is freely available on the internet; and for people using AI in their creative practice.

This session will consider:

What is the impact of AI on open content creation and how does AI reconfigure ideas of
openness?

Keynote:
Alek Tarkowski, Director of Strategy, Open Future

The panel:
Chair:
Josie Fraser, Head of Digital Policy, National Lottery Heritage Fund

Panel:
Alek Tarkowski, Director of Strategy, Open Future
Dr Aruna Bhaugeerutty, Head of Digital Collections & Museums Digital Collections Strategic Lead, Ashmolean Museum and GLAM Division, University of Oxford
Dr Mathilde Pavis, IP Consultant, Dr Mathilde Pavis Consultancy

Session 2: Open licensing: equity and ethics
The success of open licensing depends upon ensuring correct permissions are gained and that appropriate credits and citations are in place.

In this session attendees will discuss equity and ethics in the context of open licensing, and consider the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance and how UK heritage communities understand open principles and goals.

This session will consider:

How do we ensure equity and ethics in open licensing?

Keynotes:
Dr Kirsten Thorpe, Associate Professor, Indigenous Archives and Data Stewardship Hub, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research (JIIER), University of Technology Sydney

Kelly Foster, j̶o̶b̶t̶i̶t̶l̶e̶

The panel:
Chair:
Josie Fraser, Head of Digital Policy, National Lottery Heritage Fund

Panel:
Dr Kirsten Thorpe (Worimi, Port Stephens), Associate Professor, Chancellors Indigenous Research Fellow
Kelly Foster, j̶o̶b̶ t̶i̶t̶l̶e̶
Somaya Langley, Digital Preservation Manager, Science Museum Group
Dr Andrea Wallace, Associate Professor in Law, University of Exeter

What are the timings for this event?

The day will begin with arrival/tea/coffee at 10am for a 10.30am start and will end at 4.45pm with drinks.

Speakers

Alek Tarkowski, Director of Strategy, Open Future

Alek is the Director of Strategy at Open Future. He has over 15 years of experience with public interest advocacy, movement building and research into the intersection of society, culture and digital technologies. He is a sociologist by training and holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the Polish Academy of Science.

Dr Aruna Bhaugeerutty, Head of Digital Collections & Museums Digital Collections Strategic Lead, Ashmolean Museum and GLAM Division, University of Oxford

Dr Aruna Bhaugeerutty is Head of Digital Collections at the Ashmolean Museum, and leads on the strategic development of the digital collections service across Oxford University’s museums. She also co-chairs the national Collections Digitisation Network, and is a trustee of Collections Trust. As a consultant, Aruna provides specialist advice to a range of cultural organisations, which have included the Wellcome Collection, Spencer Museum of Art, and ART UK.

Dr Mathilde Pavis, IP Consultant, Dr Mathilde Pavis Consultancy

Dr Mathilde Pavis is an academic and legal consultant specializing in Intellectual Property (IP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied in the creative and heritage sectors. Mathilde served as Expert Consultant on AI for the United Nations (UNESCO) and as Associate Professor in Law at the Universities of Exter (2016-2021) and Reading (2021-2023).

Dr Kirsten Thorpe, Associate Professor, Indigenous Archives and Data Stewardship Hub, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research (JIIER), University of Technology Sydney

Dr Kirsten Thorpe (Worimi, Port Stephens), Associate Professor, Chancellors Indigenous Research Fellow, leads the Indigenous Archives and Data Stewardship Hub, which advocates for Indigenous rights in archives and data, and develops research and engagement in relation to refiguring libraries and archives to support the culturally appropriate ownership, management and ongoing preservation of Indigenous knowledges.

Kelly Foster, j̶o̶b̶ ̶t̶i̶t̶l̶e̶

Kelly Foster is a public historian, researcher, and knowledge justice advocate. Her work is centred around "Black digital practice" and community/independent archives. Currently, Kelly is a Knowledge Equity associate at the Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN) research centre at the University of Arts London.

Somaya Langley, Digital Preservation Manager, Science Museum Group

Somaya Langley has a background in the arts, broadcast, culture and festivals, and has worked for organisations including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Electrofringe (Australia’s national electronic arts festival), the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, and the University of Cambridge.

Somaya is the Science Museum Group’s inaugural Digital Preservation Manager and Co-Chair of the International Council on Archives’ Expert Group on Managing Physical and Digital Records. She holds an MFA in Cultural Leadership (2023).

Dr Andrea Wallace, Associate Professor in Law, University of Exeter

Andrea is an Associate Professor in Law at the University of Exeter. Working closely with the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, Andrea’s research considers how cultural heritage institutions within the public sector have responded to the increasing need to engage in commercialization activities during a time of economic recession. Her research examines the impact of technology on the public domain, examines the obstacles and opportunities generated by the digital realm, and it proposes recommendations for the legal, cultural, and ethical issues that continue to challenge cultural institutions.

Josie Fraser, Head of Digital Policy, The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Josie Fraser is Head of Digital Policy for The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK's largest funder of heritage. She led on the UK-wide Digital Skills for Heritage initiative designed to drive up digital skills and confidence across the heritage sector, and ensure organisations make strategic and effective use of technology. Josie’s work focuses on ethical and inclusive digital transformation, helping the heritage sector get the most out of the effective and creative use of technology.

Accessibility

The event will be taking place in Bishopsgate Institute's Great Hall which is fully accessible on the Ground Floor Level, as is the main entrance on Bishopsgate / A10.

You can find out full access information on the venue's website, but please also let us know via the registration form or by emailing jack@a-m-a.co.uk any access needs you have so we can make necessary arrangements for you.